Pile floor covering



Feb. 25, 1964 H. C. MUELLER PILE FLOOR COVERING Filed March 20, 1961 United States Patent O 3,122,175- PILE FLOOR COVERING Helmut C. Mueller, Springfield, Mass., assigner to Bigelow-Sanford, Ine., Thompsonville, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 20, 1961, Ser. No. 97,069 4 Claims. (Cl. 139-402) The present invention relates to pile fabric oor covering and more particularly to a Woven single-weft-plane pile fabric of a novel construction.

There is a growing demand for woven pile fabric iioor covering which is durable but is less bulky and less eX- pensive than the traditional woven pile fabric floor covering used in the home. The invention provides such a oor covering. which may be woven on a conventional velvet carpet loom without the addition of a separate additional wire motion--and Without speed-up of the wire motion and with no substantial altera-tion of the loom other than change of heddle cams. The fabric construction of the invention affords a distinct contrast in the lengths of the pile to provide an attractive pile surface. At the same time, the wefts are well covered by the pile yarns at the back of the fabric, the pile face is free from the defect known as grinning and the fabric is substantial and durable.

An object of the invention is to provide a single-weftplane woven pile fabric, containing no stutfer warps, wherein the pile is woven over wires inserted with alternate picks only and wherein the length of the pile may be varied from pile yarn to pile yarn to provide an attractive pile surface.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a pile fabric wherein all wefts are well covered by pile yarn on the back of the fabric and yet wherein there never is more than one pile yarn per weft per course exposed at the back of the fabric.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of presently preferred embodiments thereof, in which description reference is made to the accompanying drawing, wherein,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention, with the spacing between the yarns increased for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a warpwise sectional view of the fabric of FIG. l during weaving, with the pile wires in place;

FIG. 3 is a Warpwise sectional view similar to FIG. 2 but with the pile wires, which are round wires, removed;

FIG. 4 is a warpwise sectional view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the completed carpet of FIG. l after removal of cutting pile wires;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the fabric of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are plan views illustrating other embodiments.

In accordance with the invention I provide a woven pile fabric floor covering having a pile face and a backing, the backing consisting of wefts and binder warp yarns, the wefts being disposed in a single plane and maintained in position by the binder warp yarns, which are interwoven therewith. The binder warp yarns are in two sets, each of which may be supplied from a separate warp (from a beam or a creel), the binder warp yarns of one set or warp passing above alternate wefts and below the intermediate wefts and the binder warp yarns of the other set passing below said alternate wefts and above the intermediate wefts. The binder warp yarns of one set cross the binder warp yarns of the other set between each two wefts. Binder warp yarns of one set alternate with binder warp yarns of the other set weftwise of the fabric. Preferably, the binder warp yarns are disposed in groups of 3,122,175 Patented Feb. 25, 1964 p lCe four, two of each set, although they may -be disposed in `groups of -two or other even numbers.

The binder warp yarns are all woven under approximately equal tension, so that the wefts after weaving remain in the same plane.

The fabric includes a pile face of pile elements, ie., tufts or loops, woven over pile wires and interwoven with the backing structure, and disposed in a plurality of courses. Each course includes a group of binder warp yarns and at least one but not more than three warpwise extending sets of pile elements, each set being formed from a pile warp yarn, and thus lying along a separate straight line containing no pile elements of other sets. The pile warp yarns are of three different kinds, each distinguished from the other two by the manner in which it is woven. One kind of pile Warp yarn is woven over alternate wefts to form pile elements and below the intermediate wefts.v

Another of the three kinds of pile warp yarns is woven under every other one, that is, the alternate ones, of said alternate wefts, and is woven above the remainder of the wefts to form pile elements. The third kind of pile warp yarn is woven under the remaining wefts, that is, under the intermediate ones of said alternate wefts, and is woven above all of the other wefts to form pile elements. Upon removal of the wires in the weaving operation, the pile yarns which are woven above the alternate and below the intermediate wefts form pile elements of relatively short length, whereas the other pile yarns form loops or tufts which are relatively longer. The pile yarns also may, and preferably do, differ from each other in character, such as in texture, twist, color, size or other physical characteristic apparent to the eye. Pile yarns of a kind may be of the same character throughout, or may differ in character. Adjacent pile yarns, weftwise of the carpet, diifer in kind and preferably also in character.

Referring now to the particular preferred embodiment disclosed in the drawing for purposes of illustration, and referring first to FIG. l, the backing structure comprises a series of wefts 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18. Interwoven with the wefts are binder warp yarns 20, 22 formed from the same warp, alternating with binder warp yarns 24, 26 formed from a second warp. The binder warp yarns 20 and 22 are woven beneath the alternate wefts 2, 6, 10, 14 and 18 and above the intermediate wefts 4, 8, 12 and 16. The binder warp yarns 24 to the binder warp yarns 20, 22, 26 are woven in opposition, passing beneath the intermediate wefts 4, 8, 12 and 16, above the alternate wefts 2, 6, 10, 14 and 18, and crossing the binder warp yarns 20 and 22 between each two successive wefts. The binder warp yarns in this instance are disposed in groups of four, one group per course, each group including two binder warp yarns from each of the two sets.

In the modification of FIG. l, there are in each course three pile warp yarns, 28, 30 and 32, one of each kind of pile warp yarn. The pile warp yarns 28, 30 and 32 in this embodiment differ from each other in color. The pile yarn 28, for example, may be blue, the yarn 30 red and the yarn 32 green.

The pile yarn 28 is woven above the alternate wefts 2, 6, 10, 14 and 18 to form pile loops and is bound into the backing structure by being woven'beneath the intermediate wefts 4, 8, 12 and 16. It will be understood that a pile wire is inserted with the alternate wefts 2, 6, 10, -14 and 18, as is conventional in tapestry or velvet weaving, and that the pile yarns which are woven above these alternate wefts are laid over the pile wires in the conventional manner. Thus, in FIG. 2, wire 34 is inserted with weft 2, wire 36 with weft 6, wire 38 with weft 10, wire 40 with weft 14 and wire 42 with weft 18.

The pile yarn 30 is woven beneath alternate wefts 2,

3 and 18 and above all of the other wefts 4, 6, 8, 12,

14 and 16. In other words, the pile yarn 30 is woven' beneath alternates ones of the alternate wefts 2, 6, 10, 14 and 18 and above all of the other wefts.

The pile warp yarn 32 is woven similarly to the pile warp yarn 30 except that it is staggered or offset warpwise by two wefts, so that it is woven under the alternate wefts 6 and 14 and above all of the other wefts, as shown.

The pile warp yarns 28, 30 and 32 represent the three kinds of pile warp yarns employed in the invention.

^ The condition of the fabric during weaving, before the pile wires have been withdrawn, appears in FIG. 2. Thus the pile warp yarn 28 is raised in pile loops over each one of the wires 34, 36, 38, 40 and 42 and is bound into the backing structure by being woven beneath the intermediate wefts 4, 8, 12 and 16, with which no pile wire is inserted. The pile warp yarn 30 is raised in pile loops above pile wires 36 and 40 and their associated wefts 6 and A14 and above the adjacent wefts 4, 8, 12 and 16. Similarly, pile warp yarn 32 is raised in pile loops over pile Wires 34, 38 and 42 and their associated wefts 2, 10 and 18 and above the adjacent weft shots 4, 8, 12 and 16.

After the pile wires have been withdrawn, the completed fabric is left in the condition shown in FIG. 3, when the wires were round, or non-cutting wires. The pile yarn 28 forms loops of a short length and the pile yarns 30 and 32 form pile loops of a longer length but approximately the same height.

The fabric resulting from the use of cutting wires in FIG. 2 appears in FIG. 4. All of the pile elements are pile tufts and each tuft has two equal-length legs. The pile yarn 30 appears as pile tufts 30 looped about wefts 2', 10 and 18 below which it was woven. The pile yarn 28 appears as relatively shorter tufts 28' bound into the backing structure by wefts 4, 8, 12 and 16 below which 'this pile warp yarn was Woven, and the pile warp yarn 32 appears as tufts 32 bound in-to the backing structure by wefts 6 and 14 below which this pile warp yarn was woven.

It will be noted that the wefts 4, 8, 12 and 16 beneath which the pile warp yarn 28 is woven are separated from each other, in each instance, by a single weft. The wefts runder which the pile warp yarns 30 and 32.are woven are separated from each other by three wefts, in each instance.

It will be observed that, despite this desired non-uniform distribution of the pile elements at the pile face, each weftin the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5 is covered at the back of the fabric by one pile warp yarn and only one pile warp yarn in each course. A uniform distribution of the pile warp yarns at the back of the fabric, with good coverage of the wefts at the back, is thus maintained while at the same time providing a pleasing variation in the lengths of the pile loops at the face of the fabric. Since there is never more than one pile warp yarn beneath the same weft in the same course, the pile warp yarns are well and uniformly exposed at the back so that they can be reached effectively by a back coating and the pile elements securely fastened into the backing structure thereby. It will be observed also that in the embodiment of LFIGS. 1-5 there is always one, and only one, pile yarn exposed at the back per weft in each course.

Since the binder warp yarns are all under substantially the same tension, neither set of binder warp yarns tends, in the completed fabric, to lie more nearly along a straight line than the other set, and thus the wefts are maintained substantially in a single plane, as shown.

In the fabric so far described, all of the courses are alike, each consisting of a group of four binder warp yarns and of three pile warp yarns. While I prefer to employ four binder warp yarns per course, this is not an essential feature of my invention and I may employ 4 any even number of binder warp yarns per course, half of one set and half of the other, alternately disposed.

FIGS. 6, 7, 8, `9 and 10 illustrate modifications wherein there are two binder warp yarns per course, one binder warp yarn in each course being from one set, supplied from one warp, and the other binder warp yarn from the other set, being supplied from the other warp.

FIG. 6 also illustrates the modification wherein the odd pile warp yarn, i.e., the pile warp yarn which is woven above alternate wefts and below the intermediate wefts, is a warp yarn of a different character in different courses. Thus in the course at the top of FIG. 6 the pile warp yarn 28, so woven, is of one character, say green. In the second course down from the top the pile warp yarn 28 which is so woven is of a different character, say blue, and in the lowermost course of this ligure the pile warp yarn 28 so woven is of a third character, say red. Thus the pattern provided by the construction of FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Vis broken up to provide a pleasing further variation of pattern weftwise of the fabric.

FIG. 7 shows a further modification, wherein the relative position within the course of the odd pile yarn 28 is varied from course to course. In FIG. 7, in the course at the top of the figure, the odd pile yarn 28 is disposed between the other two pile yarns 30 and 32 whereas in the other course the odd pile yarn 28 is disposed at one side of the set of three pile yarns.

In the embodiments so far described the pile yarns have been arranged in sets of three pile yarns per course, each course including one pile yarn of each of the three kinds of pile yarn. The courses may, however, include less than three pile yarns. Thus in the modification of FIG. 8, the alternate courses have only a single pile yarn, this pile yarn being the pile yarn 28, i.e., the pile yarn of the kind which is woven over the alternate wefts 2, 6, 10, 14 and 18 and below the intermediate wefts 4, 8, 12 and 16. The intermediate courses have two pile yarns, one each of the other two kinds of pile yam, represented by the yarn 30 which is woven under wefts 2, 10 and 18, and above the other wefts, and the yarn 32 which is woven under the wefts 6 and 14 and above the other wefts. This modification, illustrated in FIG. 8, provides a highly satisfactory pile fabric within the invention.

FIGS. 9 and l0 illustrate further variations employing less than three pile yarns per course. In FIG. 9 alternate courses include two pile yarns, as in the modification of PIG. 8, but one of these yarns is the odd yarn 28 which is woven over alternate wefts 2, 6, 10, 14 and 18 and below the intermediate wefts 4, 8, 12 and 16 and the other pile yarn 30 is woven under weft 2 (and 10 and 18) and over the other wefts. The intermediate courses contain a single pile yarn 32vof the third kind, woven under wefts 6 (and 14) and over the other wefts.

In the modification of FIG. vl0 each course contains a single pile yarn, the pile yarns of the three kinds occurring in regular succession in successive courses.

lt will be observed that in all of the described embodiments of the invention, there is never more than one pile yarn per weft per course exposed at the back of the fabric, and there is always one and only one pile yarn per weft exposed at the back in each group of three adjacent pile yarns containing one each of the three kinds of pile yarn.

It will be understood that other modifications within the skill of those familiar with the art may be employed. Thus, for example, the wires may be of the type having an uneven or wavy upper surface. Alternate wires may be of one character, e.g., cutting wires and the intermediate wires may be of a different character, e.g., non-cutting, or, the alternate wires may be of a different height from l the intermediate wires.

l claim:

1. A woven pile fabric floor covering comprising a series of wefts disposed in a single weft plane, a series of courses of warp yarns interwoven with the wefts, each such course comprising (1) an even number of binder warp yarns, in two sets, one set of said binder warp yarns passing above alternate wefts and below the intermediate wefts and the otl er set passing below said alternate wefts and above the intermediate wefts, said binder warp yarns crossing between successive wefts and being under approximately equal tension, and (2) at least one and not, more than three sets of pile elements, all of the pile elements of each set lying along a separate straight warpwise line containing no pile elements of other sets and being formed from a single pile yarn interwoven with said wefts, said pile yarns being of three kinds, one of said kinds of pile yarns being ywoven above said alternate Wefts to form pile elements and below said intermediate wefts, a second of said kinds of pile yarns being woven below alternate ones of said alternate Wefts and woven above all other wefts to form pile elements, and the third of said kinds of pile yarns being woven below the intermediate ones of said alternate wefts and being woven above all other wefts to form pile elements, certain of said pile elements differing from others of said pile elements in length, one and only one pile yarn of every group of three adjacent pile yarns containing one each of said three kinds of pile yarns being woven under the weft at each weft, all of said pile yarns being exposed at the back of the fabric wherever they are woven under a weft so that upon application of a back coating on the back of the fabric the coating will engage at least said binder warps and such exposed portions of said pile yarns and thus fasten the pile yarns into the fabric.

2. The pile fabric Hoor covering of claim 1 wherein some of said kinds of pile yarns differ from others of said kinds of pile yarns in color.

3. The pile fabric floor covering ofj claim l wherein the pile elements are loops.

4. The pile fabric lioor covering of claim 1- wherein the pile elements are tufts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,760,528 McKnight et al Aug. 28, 1956 2,774,389 Hoeselbarth Dec. 18, 1956 2,967,549 McKnight Ian. 10, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 857,872 France Apr. 29, 1940 1,123,332 France June 11, 1956 869,776 Germany Mar. 9, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No., 3q122175 February 259 1964 Helmut Co Mueller It is hereby certified that error' appears in the above numbered patent requiring Correetion and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected belewa Column 2, lines 45 and 46Q for "wefts 4V 8, l2 and I6o The binder warp yarns 24 to the binder warp yarns 20 22ti 26 are woven in opposition," read wefts 4 8 l2 and 16o The binder warp yarns 24g 26 are woven n opposition to the binder warp yarns 2Of1 22Y Signed and sealed this 30th day of June l964 (SEAL) Amst:

ERNEST WQ SWIDER esng f'ficer EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents 

1. A WOVEN PILE FABRIC FLOOR COVERING COMPRISING A SERIES OF WEFTS DISPOSED IN A SINGLE WEFT PLANE, A SERIES OF COURSES OF WARP YARNS INTERWOVEN WITH THE WEFTS, EACH SUCH COURSE COMPRISING (1) AN EVEN NUMBER OF BINDER WARP YARNS, IN TWO SETS, ONE SET OF SAID BINDER WARP YARNS PASSING ABOVE ALTERNATE WEFTS AND BELOW THE INTERMEDIATE WEFTS AND THE OTHER SET PASSING BELOW SAID ALTERNATE WEFTS AND ABOVE THE INTERMEDIATE WEFTS, SAID BINDER WARP YARNS CROSSING BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE WEFTS AND BEING UNDER APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TENSION, AND (2) AT LEAST ONE AND NOT MORE THAN THREE SETS OF PILE ELEMENTS, ALL OF THE PILE ELEMENTS OF EACH SET LYING ALONG A SEPARATE STRAIGHT WARPWISE LINE CONTAINING NO PILE ELEMENTS OF OTHER SETS AND BEING FORMED FROM A SINGLE PILE YARN INTERWOVEN WITH SAID WEFTS, SAID PILE YARNS BEING OF THREE KINDS, ONE OF SAID KINDS OF PILE YARNS BEING WOVEN ABOVE SAID ALTERNATE WEFTS TO FORM PILE ELEMENTS AND BELOW SAID INTERMEDIATE WEFTS, A SECOND OF SAID KINDS OF PILE YARNS BEING WOVEN BELOW ALTERNATE ONES OF SAID ALTERNATE WEFTS AND WOVEN ABOVE ALL OTHER WEFTS TO FORM PILE ELEMENTS, AND THE THIRD OF SAID KINDS OF PILE YARNS BEING WOVEN BELOW THE INTERMEDIATE ONES OF SAID ALTERNATE WEFTS AND BEING WOVEN ABOVE ALL OTHER WEFTS TO FORM PILE ELEMENTS, CERTAIN OF SAID PILE ELEMENTS DIFFERING FROM OTHERS OF SAID PILE ELEMENTS IN LENGTH, ONE AND ONLY ONE PILE YARN OF EVERY GROUP OF THREE ADJACENT PILE YARNS CONTAINING ONE EACH OF SAID THREE KINDS OF PILE YARNS BEING WOVEN UNDER THE WEFT AT EACH WEFT, ALL OF SAID PILE YARNS BEING EXPOSED AT THE BACK OF THE FABRIC WHEREVER THEY ARE WOVEN UNDER A WEFT SO THAT UPON APPLICATION OF A BACK COATING ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC THE COATING WILL ENGAGE AT LEAST SAID BINDER WARPS AND SUCH EXPOSED PORTIONS OF SAID PILE YARNS AND THUS FASTEN THE PILE YARNS INTO THE FABRIC. 